My Last Kryptonian
by VioletCitizen
Summary: Izuku Midoriya, born Kal El, of the dead planet Krypton, sent to earth. He lives among the people in a world inundated with superpowers, despite being one of the strongest, even among them. Can his quest to be the greatest hero come to fruition, even if he needs to hide his true powers? Superman AU.
1. Prelude-Opening March

"Hello. I am Jor El of the planet Krypton. I fear much for the future of our race, as I predict that, soon, the end of our planet will be upon us. While I hope to migrate with my son to the planet of earth and live among our genetic cousins, the humans, it may not come to pass as I have predicted.

In such a scenario, these are my words to any who would find young Kal-El. He is my only son, and I hope that his future will be as bright as the yellow sun of earth. To the human who finds this; I plead that you look upon my son in case of my wife's or my absence. If I can not see him grow, I hope that it will be into someone that would do us proud. We chose your planet because there is a great capacity for love and compassion among the people of earth.

Among your kind, the yellow sun will make him far greater than any other, a god among men. But upon krypton we have a philosophy: might does not make right. Only through example shall we be the change that will lead the world to the light."

Inko Midoriya was not a superstitious woman. She was born with a simple Quirk, had studied in a simple school, and lived in a simple city where she was looking to start her simple life. She had no delusions of greatness, and even if the world was full of men and women of extraordinary talent and virtue, she was a simple homebody who was content with her lot in life.

Hisashi Midoriya was a fire breathing businessman. Long since relegated to being a parlor trick at the office, anything special about him came solely from the connections he made over a luncheon or a after-work drinking session. He climbed the social ladder and supported his young wife however he could. The fact that she saw less and less of him as time went by was more a symptom of a problem that goes back decades before their relationship. He was a flashy man who had settled for simplicity and now harbored nothing but the occasional daydream.

The ordinary couple stood in the rubble of what appeared to be a futuristic spacecraft in the middle of the japanese countryside. Their own sedan abandoned on the road, blinkers on, as the fires and the red hot steel of the un-identified grounded object cooling off. A chilly breeze pushed her closer to the relative warmth of the unknown spacecraft, with its round silver and lack of sharp edges.

And then a message from a man with grey hair and uneasy stubble, a blue hologram under the black sky and the bright stars. Inko risked a glance up, into the expanse of the night, shivering slightly and huddling close to her husband for warmth. Neither spoke, even after the hologram had disappeared back into the spacecraft, the reddish leather and the flashing lights meeting dumbstruck gazes.

There was a _human_ baby inside, quietly looking up at them with big green eyes. Inko's tongue was stuck to her teeth but her hands found themselves around the small child, feeling the simple warmth that radiated from the space-baby. The eyes looked up into hers and she stared at him for a long moment. Her breath was caught in her throat.

"Inko." Said Hisashi. "Inko!"

"Hisashi… we can't leave him here."

A moment of silence, with the young boy silent and still, his chubby little arms waving around and his eyes looking around the expanse of night interestedly. Hisashi coughed. "No, we can't."

And so he took her hand.

"Hisashi, what about the ship-"

"I don't think it's going anywhere. Let's go home."

* * *

New parents are new parents, whatever the circumstance. Inko and Hisashi had to come up with a lot of excuses and a lot of lies in order to protect this mysterious child that they had discovered, and they gave each other tired glances whenever they found themselves alone. Hisashi hadn't said anything yet but she just knew he would have some choice words if her judgement had caused them some undue trouble.

If the hero association or the police came knocking on their door one day, Hisashi would do what he could to protect his wife. The alien baby could go. They'd adopt another, normal child, someday.

Inko, of course, didn't see it the same way. He tried to hide his stares when she was "playing" with that… thing, but she still saw them and she grew cold to his touch. She was such a soft and caring woman before that little alien came into their house. He clenched his fists.

"Ahh, Izuku, eat your veggies…" She cooed, the little brat seated at the dining room table, his hands flailing around and doing everything but what his wife wanted. _Izuku_. She had named the thing like it was their actual child. The name they _would have_ had for their child. As far as he remembered, he already had a name, the one that the weird man in white had given him. Kal-El.

Neither truly doubted the story that the alien scientist had given them. It seemed to make sense, and they both knew that strange things happened in all corners of the earth, with or without the involvement of Quirks. Some part of Hisashi held onto the hope that this was some prank or daydream and Jor-El would show up one day to collect his spawn and would leave the young family alone.

She seemed to take a real liking to the child and his curly black hair and wide innocent smile. However, the uneasiness he felt wasn't quelled by her laughter, nor by when she came to him asking what was wrong, her eyebrow raised, her round face scrunched up in worry. He shook his head.

"I don't know." He said. "I don't know what's going to happen."

But when she wrapped her hands around his and squeezed softly, he smiled back. For her.

* * *

Izuku Midoriya was, for all intents and purposes, a normal boy going to kindergarten. He had lost some of that baby fat and was now a good deal faster and more nimble than the other boys his age. In a green jumper and shorts, lazy sneakers with frayed edges, Izuku took to the streets and green hillsides of his hometown. The other boys pushed and pulled and jumped over him and he was always there. Smiling.

One of the boys undaunted by Izuku's radiance was a hard faced youth with a sharp ash bush for hair and a permanent glower, brows furrowed and hands itching to scratch or grab. Katsuki Bakugou, the resident power ranger. Where he ran, with his brash talk and mean spirited laughter, a cabal followed. Izuku and Katsuki found each other one day and their ramshackle friendship began, the tough boy quick to make a remark that the shy one would quickly back up.

And then Katsuki started sweating nitroglycerin. Things changed after that.

"Where's your quirk, Izuku?" Said Katsuki, sparks at his fingertips, bits of his burnt hair frayed and sticking out, black smudges on his cheek and all over his small hands.

"I dunno, Kacchan. Maybe I'll get it soon!" His hand came up, his mouth opening in a bright, teeth-bare smile. Katsuki shook his head, but said nothing.

"Did you hear about that hero guy, All Might?" Said Katsuki again, leaving his slightly charred hands to rest while they sat down for a moment in the playground, wood chips crunching under their sneakers.

"Yeah! He's so cooool! I can't wait to get my quirk and be just like him!" Izuku thundered, his eyes skyward, fists pumped. Kacchan punched him playfully in the arm.

"No way, brat! I'm gonna be the best hero!"

"That's okay, Kacchan! But I'm gonna aim for it, too!"

"Nuh uh, idiot! There can only be one! And it's gonna be me!"

Izuku went home with a smile on his face and dreams written in his eyes.

* * *

The first signs of his heritage came upon them one night when Izuku was in the middle of picking up groceries with his mom at the local corner store. Hefting the basket with both hands, back arched, glancing over the merchandise of the store. Inko was weighing some carrots, humming slightly as the scent of fresh produce reminded her of simple times, a soft smile idle on her face.

And then Izuku's vision blurred and he started seeing things.

"Mom! Mom! Mom, help!" He cried out. Inko looked down and saw his eyes, unfocused and reddish, his green pupils shaking in place, the basket dropping to the ground in a thud that paused her heartbeat for a split second before she rushed to him.

"Izuku! Izu-"

When they got home he was sent to bed, his eyes still unfocused and his mother's warm hand in his sweat-slick own, lights dimmed.

"Mom…" He looked to her, seeing something else entirely. Her mouth was open and fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

When he woke up, his mother was around him, her hand still holding his tightly. She was no longer a skeletal figure, her bones and organs and…

He told her everything. About all the things he saw, different walls and rooms and seeing through skin and bones like they were made of glass. A world, for a brief moment, straight out of a nightmare. It was all okay now.

"Mom, is that my q-quirk? It's really weird!"

"… There's something you should know. About where you came from."

And his eyes widened and for a moment she thought he was going to phase out again and she gulped.

"Mom?"

"You came from the planet Krypton. You're the genetic son of a Kryptonian scientist named Jor El. Me and your father found you when you were a little baby, your spaceship had crashed into a field. I-I took you in, Izuku."

He looked up at her. For a fearful moment she wondered if his eyes would narrow and his brow would furrow and he would spit it back in her face. Lies, woman! Lies!

He paused, and then spoke, a quiver in his young voice.

"C-can I still stay with you and pretend to be your son?"

His lip quivered and he looked all the world like he was expecting her to put him back in the spaceship and leave, never to be seen again. Like she was Hisashi, distant enough to smile when he saw her but leave as soon as their... _her_ son started walking to her.

Izuku was afraid, and Inko knew what she had to do. She hugged her son.

"You are my son, Izuku. Nothing can change that." She said, and that was the last time he was anything other than her baby boy.

* * *

It took a day for him to know how to turn it on and off at his own will. "X-ray vision!" he called it, much like Periscope, one of the heroes he admired. He could see things happen all around and she taught him very quickly that he should _never_ use it to see through clothes.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it. Inko sat down one night and thought long and hard about what she knew about Quirks and decided that Izuku didn't have one. Izuku seemed, like Jor-El said, to be powered by his own biology, the sun's energy being the only thing he needed. She never kept him hungry long enough to test it, but he never got the occasional sniffles that other boys his age always complained about, nor the flu, or chickenpox. Even his _teeth_ never fell out, but seemed to grow up as he did. She was terrified of taking him to the doctor, but, thankfully, it seemed that she never needed to.

And then he started shooting lasers from his eyes and she started losing sleep. One extended focus-x ray session where he tried to see into individual specks of dust ended with one charbroiled rug, and one screaming boy with glowing orange-red eyes. A lesser woman would have been terrified, and even she had to admit that she faltered when she saw her child with smoking eye sockets of pure red light, burning heat searing small holes into bits of her house.

It seemed to be something he could turn off easily, so once she calmed him down, he seemed more excited than anything. She knew that it was a very delicate matter and if she showed anything but encouragement and happiness, it could make her son very afraid of what he was.

She took him out to the countryside where he used it on small bushes and trees. She, of course, told him to be very careful with that ability as it could be very dangerous if he didn't use it properly. It seems her faith was not misplaced, Izuku nodding seriously (as seriously as he could for a four year old boy) and promising to practice it safely and never without her supervision.

He made it a week before he broke both rules, but she pretends to not know about that.

"You're going to be a symbol of peace, Izuku. You don't have to be number one."

* * *

Izuku is eight when Kacchan's explosions stop hurting him near completely. He still reacts and groans in pain, but his skin is unbroken, steeled, no bruises, scratches. Katsuki doesn't notice.

"You say you have a quirk, huh, Deku? Where's that quirk now, huh?"

Izuku can slow down time, he thinks. He can look at something for seemingly an hour when it really should take a second. He can see water dripping down from a faucet, the ripple, the roar. He can see people's faces move inch by inch in rapid conversation, tongues flapping about, saliva spitting out.

He sees Katsuki towering above him, flares sparking off his fingers, mouth wide open, frozen in a sneer.

He just observes. It's not really his place to start telling people about these.. Changes. So if he had never scraped his knee or gotten sick, nobody noticed. Nobody commented. He passes his quirk off as being some enhanced strength and the one time someone sees him kick down a fence "accidentally", nobody really doubted him anymore. Slight super strength was far from an exceptional power, after all.

He starts wearing glasses, wide, square rimmed black frames. Kacchan's teasing is worth it, he supposes. He doesn't want to attract too much attention as any kind of exceptional student.

His memory improves and he can note the exact word for word description of everything that any of his tests have. So when he ends up as a B student, his Mom smiles and tells him that she's proud of him, even if he's not the best. She knows, inside, that he wants to be the best. To break the limits, to be a genius.

He acts like being average was going out of style.

Izuku Midoriya is the farthest thing from a hero anyone could think of. And while it hurts him to cower, to whimper, when he knows about his strength, he does it for his mother.

He does it for the hero he needs to be. Because young Izuku had decided, at the age of ten, that he would have to make a choice that contradicted everything he wanted since he was young. He needed to hide his potential, for the sake of all those who cared about him. He needed to hide the remains of Krypton from the prying eyes of the government.

But deep down he knew that he would still be a hero, he was still selfish in that way, still so human. He couldn't give up that dream.

So he remains Izuku Midoriya, the stumbling, slouched, quiet boy with wide rimmed glasses. A boy with dreams in his eyes.

Something deep inside, however, began to grow.


	2. Smallville

AN: Thanks for all the feedback and support~

Review Reply: Eneko95- For this situation, i basically consider it the same reason that superman hides his identity in the original canon. Quirks are common enough to be normal, aliens aren't. If he ousts himself, it could mean that he finds himself under a very fine microscope in no time at all. The only way to avoid that fate is to hide his true powers.

* * *

"I heard Midoriya was planning to go to UA, as well."

Izuku's eyes drifted from his paper up to the teacher, taking a second to process the level of heat that had suddenly spiked up in the room. The collective eyes of the entire classroom were trained on him and his slouch, his thick framed glasses, and his uneasy quiver.

"What?!"

In his face: Katsuki Bakugou, fiery scowl, palmed poised to strike. Those red eyes bore into his own, a pair of spectacles the only barrier to his own bright green. Izuku groaned internally but backed up his chair.

"No way, useless Deku! They're gonna have to scrape you off the sidewalk with a spatula! Not a goddamn chance you're getting into UA!"

Izuku said nothing, but visibly deflated, leaving Katsuki yelling at nothing. The entire class muttered among themselves, but Katsuki's eyes were trained on Izuku alone. A loud slam onto his desk, a challenging glare, a curse, a pause, and a reluctant withdrawal. Katsuki sat back down and Izuku let out a breath.

With the years had come changes, many of them welcome. The steel he had always felt in his skin and muscles now expanded to his whole body, a fiery energy enveloping his being and multiplying when he was under the heat of the yellow sun. He had shot up like a weed, reaching Katsuki's height and, while the baggy uniform concealed it, hardened his body and toned his muscles into thick wires that could pull apart iron and paper with similar ease. Izuku Midoriya had been experiencing a new power set every year, each with their own challenges, but somehow, he got used to them with a supernatural ease once he had the chance to use them.

Several notebooks filled with notes about Kryptonian biology, cell samples, drawings of what the planet itself may have looked like. Inko shook her head but let him continue his wild daydreaming, her fingers crossed that it wouldn't draw any unsavory attention towards her son.

Class concluded and Izuku was last one in the room, looking around one last time at the classroom where he had grown up for years. Katsuki Bakugou and his little group menaced the exit and Izuku did all he could to ignore them and take in the warm air of the incoming summer.

"I bet you think you're something special, huh, Deku? Some kind of… super-man, huh?"

Bakugou was once again in his face, nose to nose, eye to eye.

"Give up on trying to get into UA. Only exceptional people can get anywhere near that school and you're as average as it gets. Last warning."

A flick against his forehead, a mocking laugh, and Katsuki Bakugou was gone.

* * *

It was today, wasn't it? Inko waited in the kitchen for her son to come home, her thumbs twiddling. She had made a promise, years ago; she regretted it now, but she was not going to go back on her promise. She just hoped she could convince him…

Watching her son grow up was both the most wonderful experience of her life and the most harrowing. He wasn't her flesh and blood but he was _hers_ , she swore by it. She watched him and told him what she believed and what was right and what was wrong. Izuku was bright eyed and a little bit brash, but he did what he believed.

When he promised to keep his powers a secret, something inside her knew that she was being selfish. Izuku's powers were so, so great. He could truly become the symbol of peace that the earth needed, a worthy successor to All Might. He would lead the earth to a new era of hope and passion, and he would do it as her son, the embodiment of all she believed in.

But the thought of the government, black ops underground heroes, of forces she knew not, breaking down her door and stealing her son, spiriting him away into the night, to be tested on, to be turned into a _resource_. Quirks were like that, in the beginning, but their spread made them less exceptional. Izuku, however, did not have that luxury. He needed to be protected from the eyes of those who would be greedy for what he had.

"Mom, take me to see it."

"Yes, honey, but-"

"Mom!"

Her eyebrows sloped up and her lip quivered. "You don't have to… Really, Izuku. You're fine as you are. Leave it all behind, okay?"

"Mom, I have to see it. I have to see… him."

And so they stood in the wreckage of a ship that had crashed in this field fourteen years ago, carrying the last son of Krypton. Izuku, with his green shirt and jeans, arms bared, prying apart the metal hull, determined to unearth the secrets of his home. Inko behind, biting her nails, nervous; she didn't wish him to learn anything that would hurt him.

But she did know that he wasn't meant to be a city boy forever. This was a brave new world and he was nothing if not destined to do great things.

With a silver glint and a harsh grunt, the Kryptonian ship gave way to Izuku's strength and opened, once again. The cool air within rushed out in a quick whisper, Izuku stepping back, eyes unblinking.

There was an S. Triangular and segmented, emblazoned into steel. He pulled it up, rubbing his palm against it. At his touch, it lit up.

And Jor El appeared once again.

Izuku had not seen Jor El before, but the resemblance, to Inko, was more than obvious. The eyes, the nose, the profile. Izuku Midoriya was the spitting image of the Kryptonian scientist, the very proof that he held none of her DNA. Her doubts about her own parentage, laid to form. This was his true origin, the origin of his strength and power. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Kal El. You have returned to me at last, in my old age." The man grinned. There was a fine mist in his eyes, a track of what could only be tears. Immediately, a deep shame came across Inko for her jealousy- Did Jor El not deserve to have his son, as well?

"Jor El…" Said Izuku.

"I wish I could be there to touch you and to see how strong you've become. The sun does wonders, I hope, for your complexion." His smile seemed forced but the tears came freely, down the wrinkled eyes and the laugh lines. Izuku stared up into the eyes of the hologram.

"Kal… Krypton is dead, without a doubt. I'm recording this because you deserve to know what we once were. You are the summation of all we were, all we are. You truly are the last Kryptonian. I know you'll carry our legacy, as well as the teachings of your new parents- the earthlings- proudly. I ask that you carry our crest."

The S lit up, bright white, before splitting in half and coming clean, steel sliding apart from the sides, opening up to reveal…

"This is the house of El. For a thousand generations, our forefathers wore this crest- the crest of illumination, upon their clothes. It represents more than just our family, Kal-El. It represents what we once were, and what we hope to be. Red and Blue, bright and proud. I h-humbly ask that you wear it."

Izuku laid his hand over the crest, feeling the smooth, otherworldly fabric.

"Behind you." Said Jor El, and behind Izuku, there were crystals, bright green and blue things of unimaginably luster, unveiled when the costume had been given. "Coordinates. This is not the only Kryptonian ship on earth. I sent another with the combined teachings of all that El knew, to the pole of Earth. When you are ready… go and find them. The map is within those crystals."

"Find us, Kal. Find me. That is all I have for you, now." Jor El said, and he disappeared.

Izuku took a deep breath, and pulled out the clothes that his father had made for him. The blue, sleek outfit, red midsections and briefs above- without gloves; red boots, and a lush cape that fluttered in the wind.

Inko was speechless, but Izuku looked back at her.

She gulped and nodded.

It took only a second, his shirt and jeans lying discarded on the leather seat- but now, clad within the colors and the symbols of Krypton, all doubt erased from his mind. Inko looked down at Kal El, last son of Krypton, and saw not a fifteen year old boy, but a man, ready to change the world.

The Crest of El on his chest. Black and green hair fluttering in the breeze, red cape billowing in the breeze. His eyes were kind, she found.

 _He is no alien_. She thought. _He's still my son._

His smile was that of a young boy, and he struck a strong pose, undoubtedly based off All Might. With the Kryptonian outfit, however, it felt right.

There was a faint sound in the back of Izuku's mind. The city- the thousands of voices, signals, arguments, and screams of children and adults alike. Long had he tuned them out, if simply for his own sanity. Now, however, there was a familiar voice that beckoned his attention, if only for a moment. He closed his eyes, and he focused:

* * *

Several miles away, in the dead center of the city, a blonde boy was struggling to survive. The gasps and rage exploded out of him, but their suffocation meant his imminent demise. Bakugou was not one to give up, not ever; he stood strong in the face of overwhelming opposition.

But the panic that shredded his lungs and brought sweat down his skin in torrents as his death reached near- that was not something he could escape.

In his last moments, perhaps, there was something akin to humility. Katsuki would stand on his own, but he knew that it was not the time to be proud. He asked, simply, for one thing.

"Help!" He screamed.

All Might, the number one hero, was too late to save him. This would grate on his conscience for days, weeks- he would sit quietly in his room and think back as to how he could have changed the situation, how he could have saved that one boy that had somehow gotten captured by a monster this dangerous.

All Might wasn't close enough to hear Katsuki's cry. But someone else was.

* * *

Izuku Midoriya opened his eyes and knew what he had to do. He did not wait, but in a lightning quick snap, he had disappeared completely. Inko gasped, looking around for any trace of where he had gone, but there was nothing to be seen. Red and Blue had taken off to the city, only a dust cloud and an afterimage left of him.

Izuku was not a second too late with the first blow. He reacted as instinctively as he could, a left arm, a fist, directly into the gelatinous mass that was the enemy. The force itself tore the beast into globs, concrete cracking, steel roadwork melting. He did not have a second to get his bearings, but once he had struck, he observed the situation.

Frozen in motion, Izuku had all the time in the world to think about what he needed to do next. The stage was set, a new player exploding onto the scene. Pro heroes- Kamui Woods, Death Arms, Mt. Lady. The scenario was dire, however, and Izuku focused purely on the danger.

Green sludge, a half leveled patch of road, and a screaming teenager. Reporters perusing the scene, cameras in hand, shock on their faces as Izuku's strike came, apparently, out of nowhere.

The blob was not yet done. Sludge began to swarm, once again, collecting itself around Katsuki, making him as much of a shield as it could. Izuku's mind ran through several ideas of how the battle could be won, but there was one solution that seemed so easy, so mundane that it would have seemed stupid.

He punched the air with all the speed he had, his muscles strained against the blue, incredible heat at the edge of his knuckles. As soon as he struck, there was a deafening pop as the wind itself shattered and spread a shockwave of strength across the area, shattering the windows and parting even the air currents. As soon as it happened, Izuku moved to end the beast, and the wind was on his side, tearing it to pieces in front of his very eyes, a column of pure tornado disintegrating all the darkness in the area.

When he was done, there were blue skies, his red cape fluttering in the breeze, and no slime to be seen. A drop of sweat slid down his head, and he looked around.

Bakugou, on his knees, hyperventilating, heat frayed his clothes, a silent scream dead on his lips. Sweat and blood dripped down his chin, but he was wordless, not even looking to the one who had saved him.

A crowd, amassed, whispering among themselves. A hero had made himself known, at the last possible moment, his red cape fluttering in the wind. For a brief second, Izuku could only picture one thing: _a broken promise_.

It came suddenly, the fear. The Kryptonian outfit didn't conceal his face, and Katsuki, if nobody else, would scream his name as soon as he saw him. His promise to his mother to hide his identity, voided in an instant.

He looked for an exit, an escape. But it was too late, and Bakugou had turned his head, his eyes red, tears of rage tracked down his face. In those eyes, there was no familiarity.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Izuku concealed his surprise as best he could, but his eyes widened. He finally answered.

"You looked like you needed help." Said Izuku. And he turned away, because he couldn't look at him anymore without guilt wracking his nerves.

A murmur, through the crowd. Whispers, screams to his ears. "Who is that guy?" "He doesn't look like any hero I know…" "He rescued that boy!"

"Look! He's flying!"

And Izuku looked down and saw that his feet were a meter above the ground.

"Is he a bird-themed hero?"

"Is he a plane themed hero?!"

The reporter, bright eyed and with a thoughtful grin spoke at last, stepping up to him, mic in her hand.

"No." He said, his throat finally opening up, allowing him to speak.

The name rose to his lips with startling ease.

"I'm **Superman."**

At the very back of the crowd, a blonde, emaciated man was examining the proceedings with his mouth wide open and his fists balled till his nails drew blood from his palms.

"Heroes are always risking their lives…" He said, a wide grin splitting his face. "Looks like there are still some things that don't change."


	3. Title March

Hey folks! Thanks for your RnRs, here's a few replies to those, but more generally speaking.

Things that are due for the future will naturally reveal themselves in the future. UA, etc.

For those who were wondering about Izuku's powers- he's got the new 52 lineup, kind of classic powers. Super speed, strength, flight, durability, heat vision, xray vision, super senses. He doesn't have any of his extended powerset like frost breath, etc.

Ty for your support!

* * *

 **Superman: Menace or Miracle?**

Reports are in, opinions are divided on this week's new vigilante, the man whose surprising feats at last week's sludge incident in downtown made him an instant fan favorite among hero discussion… However, there was a shock when the authorities confirmed that, yes, the self-titled "Superman" is, in fact, a vigilante working without the Hero Council's approval! Regardless, Superman's popularity in the unofficial popularity polls continues to rise, leaving him in the fourth spot as of yesterday…

The hero publicity representative from Japan's government had this to say about the new vigilante on the block; "I'm glad to see that there are always heroes taking up the mantle and saving people in need. I'd like to thank superman for his efforts, but I implore him to seek professional certification before continuing heroic activities… The council and governments would feel much more at ease if we were aware of his identity and could take precautions to keep his family safe. I'm formally reaching out to Superman to ask that he turn himself in…"

Only time will tell if Superman will accept the offer. However, it seems that Superman's work is not yet done, even with his success at saving a high schooler at last week's sludge incident. Ever since then, he has made appearances at various dangerous locations, to rescue mass amounts of people- first in Panama, and then in Canada, and then In Ecuador. Local heroes could not be contacted about this issue, but it seems that they appreciated the help.

So, our loyal readers, it's time to decide: is this new hero truly going to shine as an icon of what heroism is? Or is he a criminal with an agenda? Turn to page ten for our editorial!

* * *

"Mr. Yagi. Please have a seat."

A man. Fat cigar slipped between his lips, greying mustache and balding head. Furrowed brow, grey eyes. Seated in a room, smoke filtering through it, the only light being the window behind him. Both his hands were on his desk. In front of him, a sallow, thin faced man with sunken cheeks and a grimace. A blonde mane, grizzled, yet proud.

Toshinori Yagi took his chair across from the Boss.

A paper on the table, smacked down by the Boss with a short hand full of rings. Yagi took the paper and pulled it towards him. On it, a face.

"Superman..." Read Toshinori. "The New Symbol of Peace?"

The cigar was placed in the ashtray, and the Boss looked straight at the number one hero with a question in his eyes.

"What do you think? You were there at the incident last week, weren't you?"

Yagi took a moment. "I think he wants to help."

A chuckle. "Aren't all of you in the business of helping those in need and whatnot? This kid is doing it without any kind of interference and I've already made up my mind on what has to be done about it. They're laughing at us, up in Taiwan. _Laughing,_ Yagi. Tell me what's gonna happen to this kid."

"He's going to cause unrest among the people, and distrust in the system." Said Yagi, his teeth grit together and his lips curving down into a frown.

"You don't seem convinced."

"I think that he just… wants to help. He might inspire people, Boss."

"Inspire them to what? Take up arms and protest government interference in heroism? Be reasonable, All Might. This is a dangerous situation just waiting to happen."

Yagi didn't say anything more, but he did stare down into that young face. _He doesn't wear a mask, yet nobody knows who he is._

He looked familiar, for some reason.

"Next week, I'm deploying a team to bring him under control. I want you and one of the Quirk control boys on the job. Tell me who you want. Eraserhead, Negaton, Teller-"

"Eraserhead." He said, without much thought.

A shrug. "Do what you need to do. I want to make sure this kid understands that we're not out to hurt him, just to make sure he has some authority making sure that he's doing the right thing. The _legal_ thing. I'm sure you understand, it's drafted out by the guys down in the attorney's office. I don't get a say in if it happens, but I do get to say _how_. I trust you to take care of this quickly."

Yagi nodded, his fists still clenched under the table. "With his quirk erased, Superman should be easy to control. I'll get it done."

The Boss nodded. "You can ask for a bonus after and I'm make sure it'll come through." A slight smirk on his face.

Toshinori shook his head, and stood up.

"I only take money for hero work."

And he walked out.

* * *

Superman was having a rather busy day.

Ever since the incident, his hearing had been picking up a new distress call every few minutes. Despite his near unlimited energy, he had been feeling the strain of a dozen rescues every hour, of hearing the thousands of screams across the world, of the constant danger that most heroes did nothing to stop.

A baby in his arms, and he was touching down, two feet on the pavement, his hands reaching out to give the baby to a young woman, soot clouding her face. A burning building behind them, illuminating the night with wide licks of flame.

"Ma'am, your baby is safe." He said, a smile on his face.

"T-thank you! Thank you! You're-" She gasped, before breaking down into a fit of coughs. She took the baby from him, the warm comfort of the small life returned to its mother. His smile wasn't forced, and he took off slightly, his feet only skimming the ground.

"Superman!" Shouted someone, parts of their arm red and bruised from being trapped beneath rubble. He had dug it out with his hands, and brought out the man and then his wife, all in the space of a few minutes.

"Superman, thank you!"

He smiled and rose above them, his cape fluttering in the wind.

"It's so good to have a child back with his mother." Said the father of the baby, comforting his wife.

Izuku Midoriya, the young teenager within the suit, gasped and froze mid flight.

 _Mom_.

He took off in a second, the snap of air following him as he crossed countries in minutes, taking a second to slow down before hurtling towards urban Japan once again, his clothes lightly singed from re-entry.

In the backyard of his own home, he let himself fall to the grass and lightly walk through the back door.

Inko was in the kitchen, washing some dishes, a steaming plate of noodles stacked next to her. She looked up, and gave him a warm smile. His mouth dropped open and he stood there, soot and water dripping down his suit and into the carpet. Inko grit her teeth but continued to smile anyways.

"Mom…!"

"Get changed and ready for dinner, Izuku. I made noodles~"

A family of two seated at a table, the TV at the far corner of the living room, turned to the news. Izuku had decided to simply wear his normal clothes over the suit, rolling up the sleeves so that the blue cuffs wouldn't peek beneath his T-shirt. The dinner was in surprising silence, with Inko humming softly as she continued to wash dishes and Izuku picked at his dinner.

"Mom, I-"

Her movement halted, and she froze completely for a few seconds.

Izuku clutched his fork with a hard fist, looking down into his pasta with guilt.

She walked out to him. She leaned over and wrapped him up in a hug.

"It's okay, I-Izu. It's okay."

"Mom, i'm sorry for l-leaving so abruptly! I heard that Kacchan needed help, and-"

"It's okay, Izuku! It really is, I-"

"...And then I went into orbit and found that a satellite was about to detach from the space station and crash into-"

"I think it's most important that you fulfill your dreams, Izuku, and I'm going to be supporting you in whatever way I can. I'm sorry, I worried so much, and-"

She stopped talking and sat next to him, a soft smile on her face and eyes wet with tears ready to fall.

"Superman." She said. "My boy… already a hero."

On the TV, Izuku stared back at her, his features locked into a confident, brave stare. She froze.

"Wait, that's your face…" He turned to the TV as well and dropped his fork.

"-Reports are yet inconclusive as to who this mysterious superman is, but it's suggested that this is a hero that does not have a civilian identity, and instead spends all his time doing hero work…"

"They don't know who i am..?" He wondered.

"How can that be… I mean, people see you every day, right? They must have…"

Izuku put his finger up to his chin. "Maybe part of the Suit's effect is to hide my identity? I don't know, but Kacchan didn't recognize me, either!"

Izuku's eyes shot back up to the screen.

"This just in!- local news in Shizuoka report that a villain is robbing a bank, and there do not seem to be any other heroes in the area… suspect is armed and dangerous…"

"That's only a few kilometers away from here, in the city center…" Said Inko, knowing full well what would happen next.

"Mom, I need-" He started, but faltered when seeing her expression.

She had a tearful smile.

"I can't stop you from being a hero, Izuku… I realize that now. I can only help you be the best you can be."

She gave him a proud thumbs up, eyes watering.

"Go get them, my little hero!"

* * *

Superman was in the middle of the intersection and touching down, the sunset orange lighting up his cape and the evening streetlamps just beginning to activate. In the distance, a shrill alarm, broken glass, dirt, dust, and people huddled in a corner.

He floated over to the group of people hiding right outside the building and noted the heavily cracked concrete- likely the work of someone with a powerful physical Quirk.

"I am here to help." He said, as confidently as he could. The people weren't looking at him, but rather past him.

There was someone behind him, and he moved to turn.

An eerily familiar voice made him freeze on the spot, his eyes widening.

"I wish I could say the same, young man."

Izuku dropped onto the ground in shock, his shoes thudding against the pavement. The unmistakable silhouette, illuminated from behind; a man, a legend.

"All Might?!"


	4. Super Crime Fighter

AU o/ Thanks for the feedback folks! The boss in the previous chapter may or may not appear again, so watch out for him.

* * *

It was unmistakable. All Might, the number one hero, was standing in front of him, in a black tee and shorts. His blonde locks glint in the setting sun, and the shadows of his fade hid his eyes, only his bright white teeth illuminated.

He was _huge_. Absolutely dwarfing the teenage Superman, his body toned to perfection. His muscles had muscles. Izuku's young fanboy heart was going crazy, but the caution warnings his mind was giving him could not be ignored.

"All might! What are you doing here?"

The Pro's eyebrows rose but he smiled regardless, his thumb pointing back to himself.

"I am here to make sure that you are on the side of the law, young man!"

Izuku's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

All Might took a step forward and crossed his arms.

"I mean that you must register as a hero to continue your work! I was asked by the association to help you with this!"

All Might looked up again, at the steadily floating hero in front of him.

Izuku knew what that entailed. It was the choice he had already made. Registration required full information, his full name, and he had to work based on the rules of the association, which may forbid him helping people in certain situations. If All Might could be forced to do something like this… The government's power truly would make him a puppet.

"No."

All Might's smile didn't change, but his body did visibly tighten, ready to spring at a moment's notice.

"Why not?"

Izuku rose into the air slightly, his cape fluttering in the wind. Looking behind him, he realized that the "victims" were slowly getting up getting into various stances, ready for attack.

"I'm sorry, All Might. I promise I'm only here to help!" He tore up slightly, but his voice was resolute. "But it has to be on my terms! Goodbye!" And he shot up into the sky as fast as he could, arms reaching to the heavens in two fists.

"Ack!" He gasped as he realized something was on his leg. Looking down, he saw that the number one hero had a vice grip on his boots, his golden hair swept back to his head with the incredible speed that they were flying at.

"L-let go! What are you doing?!" He yelled.

"I can't let go, I'd fall!"

The grip tightened on his leg, and Izuku realized that his grip _actually hurt_.

"You'll be okay! You survived an attack that dropped you from the stratosphere before, three years ago! Let go of my leg!" He exclaimed.

"I can't do that, young man. I have a job to do! I'm sorry about this!"

"Sorry about wh-"

He saw stars. In his mind, he didn't have time to reconstruct what had just happened, but he was falling very fast.

There was a deafening crash as he fell into the asphalt, the road cracking under the force of his fall, his back in a small crater. The force of what had hit him temporarily blindsided him, but he gingerly touched his face and felt the purple of a bruise slowly form against his cheek. _All Might had punched him!_

Despite the situation, he was grinning like a maniac. _That hurt!_

It wasn't a second later when there was another deafening bang that shook the earth.

Rising out of the crater, he was acutely aware of everything that was happening as he slowed down time once again in his mind, seeing the rocks float in mid air, gravity's effect suspended while Izuku took in the world. All might was imitating the cover of _Superhero Weekly #75_ , shoes embedded in the road, poised and ready to strike, game face on.

Despite time slowing down, he barely saw All Might's next strike. The punch rippled the air, heading right for his side; he moved to block, but his inexperience cost him as he was hit unevenly in the elbow, leading to a rather painful blow that sent him several dozen feet back, backs of his shoes tearing through the concrete as he moved into something resembling a combat stance. He couldn't hide the fact that the punch _hurt_! The ache was likely going to hang about for a few minutes, and that was just a single hit. It excited him for some reason.

The dust settled and revealed a figure to their right, standing relaxed with his hands in his pockets, scarf drifting away from the source of the impact, long black hair shadowing his face.

It took a second for Izuku to recognize him. The purple accents, tight bodysuit, and the steel mask. _Eraserhead_.

His mind worked in overdrive as to what was happening now. _They made a team to capture me._

Despite the grim situation, Izuku couldn't help but gush with pride as he realized that some of the greatest heroes in the world were now targeting _him_ specifically.

Eraserhead turned to face him, and opened his eyes and _stared_. The mask was there to keep the enemy from knowing if he was using his Quirk or not- but Superman could use his x-ray vision to see if his eyes were open regardless. Those red eyes were wide open.

They, unsurprisingly, didn't affect Izuku's powers. He could feel the strength at his fingertips, the heat in his eyes; that hadn't changed.

However, it was time to make a decision. If he used his powers now, when Eraserhead had his erasure activated, they would know he didn't use Quirks to attain his powers- and that could be a very dangerous thing to tell the government. Alternatively, if he acted like it did affect him and claimed to be powerless, he could be captured and forced to register, if not face criminal charges for vigilantism.

 _There's always another way._

He froze on the spot, as Eraserhead walked towards him, hands still in pockets but muscles obviously tensed.

"Stop moving, brat. The faster we do this, the faster I can get back to my vacation."

All Might had moved behind him, arms at his sides, grin wide.

"I'm not trying to hurt anyone. I don't know what you did to take away my Quirk, but-" Izuku started.

"Hahaha!" It was a deep rumbling laugh that came from All Might, his deep baritone echoing around the block. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Superman. This isn't something I was eager to do, but it was one of the duties I swore to uphold!"

Eraserhead grit his teeth. "Are you going to shut up so we can finish this?"

All Might swept his hair back with one hand.

"It feels rather villainous to capture a hero like this…" He shook his head. "Justice needs to be upheld! But not without honor!" He stomped his foot. "OKAY! Eraserhead, apprehend him!"

Eraserhead shook his head but stepped forward, readying his capture gear.

The movement of the ribbons was relatively slow, and he let them hit him slowly and wrap around his body, drawing him close and constricting him. He went limp and let it take him to the heroes.

A pair of handcuffs slapped onto his wrists, the cool metal almost driving him into panic.

 _I have a plan I have a plan_

The kid inside him was absolutely terrified. He had always been nervous about getting into trouble, about cops and teachers- and now all of those were realized.

He didn't let it show.

"Strength cuffs. They should keep you from breaking out, even without your Quirk erased. This stuff can keep All Might contained, so don't try any funny stuff, brat."

"Please, you have to understand, I just want to help everyone. I don't-"

"You're not the first person with a powerful Quirk who tries to enforce their own morals on the world. Don't get uppity just because people are singing your praises."

Superman went silent.

"How old are you, anyways? It's strangely difficult for me to tell. You look like you're twenty, but you could be twelve or thirty. Whatever."

He heard a scream in the distance, his eyes widening as he recognized it as a woman's. _Someone in danger!_ Why now? When all of this seemed to be going on? It was a risky situation.

He pulled at the cuffs, and found that they remained stiff. Putting more effort into it, the cuffs only seemed to harden, starting to cut into his skin slightly. He began to sweat slightly with exertion.

 _Save that person!_

"What was that?"

All Might seemed to be staring into the direction of the scream, poised.

"All Might! Someone's in danger! They-"

All Might gave him a thumbs up. Izuku gasped, but nodded.

"Don't worry, young man, for I am here!"

He started running.

"Oh, for the love of-"

Eraserhead grumbled, grabbing Izuku by the arm and pulling him along, careful to keep his eyes on the young hero.

"Don't even try escaping."

 _Escaping! There must be a way to make Eraserhead think his powers dropped!_

Superman looked around, noticing all the dust swirling around the area, blanketing the concrete with bits of rubble.

His notebook rose to his mind. _The mask must have open parts, since Eraserhead's power doesn't work if something is in the way. Therefore..._

Izuku kicked the floor, the dust from the impacts kicking up and into Eraserhead's face, sending the man stumbling back several feet, blinking rapidly and cursing and pulling off his mask to rub at his eyes.

When he looked around, eyes reddened from rubbing them free of dust, Superman was gone.

"Goddamn… slippery brat."


End file.
